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Selectively picking which folder on my Mac to backup to icloud drive

Hello - i'm trying to figure out how to selectively choose which folder on my Macbook I can backup to the iCloud drive? Currently I'm only able to backup my desktop and documents, how do I set it so it doesn't back my whole desktop?


Thank you.

Posted on Nov 24, 2022 6:20 AM

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Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Posted on Nov 24, 2022 6:59 AM

Jaybot007 wrote:

Hello - i'm trying to figure out how to selectively choose which folder on my Macbook I can backup to the iCloud drive? Currently I'm only able to backup my desktop and documents, how do I set it so it doesn't back my whole desktop?

Thank you.

iCloud is not a computer backup tool. iCloud provides file synchronization across devices accessing the iCloud account. You need a tool like Time Machine to perform Mac backups.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

Set up iCloud on your Mac - Apple Support



4 replies
Question marked as Top-ranking reply

Nov 24, 2022 6:59 AM in response to Jaybot007

Jaybot007 wrote:

Hello - i'm trying to figure out how to selectively choose which folder on my Macbook I can backup to the iCloud drive? Currently I'm only able to backup my desktop and documents, how do I set it so it doesn't back my whole desktop?

Thank you.

iCloud is not a computer backup tool. iCloud provides file synchronization across devices accessing the iCloud account. You need a tool like Time Machine to perform Mac backups.

Back up your Mac with Time Machine - Apple Support

Set up iCloud on your Mac - Apple Support



Nov 24, 2022 7:02 AM in response to Jaybot007

See the linked Related Article above. Your only option is the Desktop and Documents folder. Apple's iCloud Drive is not a backup solution, it is a convenience solution. If you remove a file from iCloud Drive, Apple only offers you a thirty-day sliding window to recover it and afterwards, it is gone forever.


This is why Apple provides a builit-in Time Machine backup solution where you provide the external, locally attached drive and Time Machine backs up the changes on your Mac every hour that the Mac is powered. This gives you the advantage of local restore of content from months/years in the past.

Selectively picking which folder on my Mac to backup to icloud drive

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